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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. fine — all right
  3. snap — to click
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. perch — the fish
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. spell — a short time
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mate — a partner
  14. rush — hurry
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mate — a friend
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. fine — high quality
  19. spell — letters
  20. spell — magic
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. mouse — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com